[B-Greek] Rahlfs and Hanhart 2006 apparatus, book of Esther LXX

Albert Pietersma albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Thu Jul 16 10:43:19 EDT 2009


Dear Ken,
1. Judging from your "offline question," Greek Esther is in view. The  
so-called Alpha-Text of Esther is a Greek version distinct from the so- 
called Septuagint version. Since Codex Alexandrinus is an exemplar of  
the Septuagint version, NOT of the Alpha-Text version, it is crucial  
that Alpha and Alexandrinus not be confused. Since the Alpha-Text is  
specific to Greek Esther whereas Alexandrinus contains the "entire  
Septuagint," it makes sense to ask about the character of the  
Alexandrinus text in each of the books of the Septuagint, but it makes  
no sense to ask about the character of the Alpha text in anything but  
Greek Esther.
2. No, 93 is not a papyrus, but a parchment mss of the 13 century  
(London BL). Like Alexandrinus, it is an exemplar of the Septuagint,  
but it also contains the Alpha-Text. Thus "93" per se can refer either  
to (what I will call here) 93-LXX or 93-Alpha.
	(a) For 93-LXX Hanhart groups 93 with the hexaplaric (Origenian)  
recension.  As it happens, Alexandrinus is grouped with the same  
recension.  As you note, 93 typically agrees with 58 and 583, and the  
threesome (58-93-583) is then given the siglum O(italized.
	(b) For 93-Alpha, Hanhart pairs 93 with ms. 319 (= 93') and pairs 19  
with ms. 108 (=19'). Therefore, the four main witnesses to the Alpha  
text are 19, 93, 108, 319.
3. HOWEVER, the text of Esther now commonly referred to as the Alpha- 
Text, Hanhart (in deference to tradition) still calls the L-Text. But  
since elsewhere in the Septuagint corpus, L(italicized) is reserved  
for the recension of Lucian and since Hanhart explicitly warns the  
reader that his L text in Esther is NOT the Lucianic recension of the  
Septuagint, it makes a great deal of sense to refer to that text by a  
distinct siglum, hence Alpha.
Conclusion: 93 in the first apparatus in the Esther volume refers to  
the LXX text of ms. 93; 93 in the second apparatus refers to the Alpha  
text of ms. 93.
Al

On Jul 16, 2009, at 7:37 AM, ken chan wrote:

> Online question:
> My current understanding of "93" of the apparatus of Rahlfs and  
> Hanhart
> 2006 is that it refers to the "93" portion of 58-93-583 manuscripts  
> that
> have survived from the Hexapla (O). Is 93 a papyrus, or a miniscule?
> Hanhart 1983 also refers to a 93' L Text, which is constituted by
> 93-319. How is the "93" of the L Text different from from the "93" of
> the O? What is the L Text? Thanks.
>
> Offline question:
> Whereas CA Moore carefully distinguishes LXXa (Alexandrinus) from  
> LXXat
> (Alpha text), it seems that some commentaries and technical works  
> might
> actually be referring to LXXat as the "A text". Has anybody come up  
> with
> a list of what "A text" is referring to in the various works? Thanks.
>
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—
Albert Pietersma PhD
21 Cross Street,
Weston ON Canada M9N 2B8
Email: albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Homepage: http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~pietersm




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